Chapter 9
Wood
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Objectives
• Correctly identify the differences between
hardwood and softwood trees
• Discuss the processing of the wood from tree to
board in sequential order
• Name and describe common lumber defects
• Describe how the production and sale of
hardwood and softwood lumber differs
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Objectives (continued)
• Calculate board feet
• Identify different types of grain and explain how
they affect the appearance of wood
• Describe wood movement and how it affects
woodworking practices
• Identify sources for acquiring wood
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Introduction
• Trees are a source of abundant materials
• Virtually every part of the tree can be turned to
our use
• Trees provide the materials used to build and
furnish our homes
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Hardwoods and Softwoods
• Trees can be divided into two main categories:
– Hardwoods (deciduous)
– Softwoods (coniferous)
• Parts of a tree
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–
–
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Pith
Annual rings
Bark
Cambium: has two parts—phloem and xylem
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Hardwoods and Softwoods (continued)
• Parts of a tree (continued)
– Sapwood
– Heartwood
– Medullary rays
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sapwood
heartwood
heartwood
sapwood
Figure 9-3 Both walnut (top) and cherry (bottom) exhibit a striking difference in
color between their heartwood and sapwood.
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From the Forest to the Shop
• Foresters and loggers select trees to be cut for
lumber
• Trees are cut down and their limbs are removed
• Trunks are bundled together and transported to
a sawmill for processing
• At the mill, logs are sorted by species
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From the Forest to the Shop (continued)
• Best logs are set aside to be processed into
cabinet-grade veneer
• Bark is stripped off by a debarking machine
• Logs go through metal detector to sort out logs
containing metal
• Majority of logs that are processed into lumber
are squared up
– Squared-up log is called cant
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From the Forest to the Shop (continued)
• Cants are sawn into boards
• Edges of boards are trimmed to achieve uniform
width; boards are cut to length
• Boards go to the grader to be sorted
• After grading, boards are packaged for drying
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Figure 9-11 Plainsawn and quartersawn lumber have a very different
appearance.
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From the Forest to the Shop (continued)
• After drying, we have roughsawn lumber
• Depending on the tools a shop has, it may
purchase roughsawn lumber
• Lumber not sold as roughsawn is surfaced
• Most of the lumber purchased by cabinetmakers
is surfaced two sides (S2S)
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Lumber Defects
• Common natural defects
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–
–
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Knot
Blue stain
Pitch pocket
Bark pocket
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Lumber Defects (continued)
• Defects that occur in milling and drying
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–
–
–
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Warp
Bow
Crook
Cup
Twist
Kink
Wane
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Lumber Defects (continued)
• Defects that occur in milling and drying
(continued)
–
–
–
–
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Split
Check
Shake
Case hardening
Honeycombing
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Lumber Grades
• Softwood grades
– Based on standards set by associations of lumber
producers
– Must conform to U.S. Department of Commerce
American Lumber Standards
– Based on structural integrity of a board
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Lumber Grades (continued)
• Hardwood grades
– Standards established by National Hardwood Lumber
Association (NHLA)
– Based on the amount of clear wood that can be cut
from each board
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Estimating and Purchasing Lumber
• Softwood lumber
– Sold in standard thicknesses, widths, and lengths
– Ordered by its nominal size
– Sold by the individual piece
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Estimating and Purchasing Lumber
(continued)
• Hardwood lumber
– Estimated and sold by the board foot, rather than by
the piece
– Widths and lengths are not standardized
– Thickness of the piece is indicated by the quarter of
an inch, and not in whole inches
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Grain
• Strength of any wooden component is
determined by its grain and how that grain is
oriented on the furniture component
• Also affects stability of the material, gluing
properties, and finishing
• Types of grain
– End grain, longitudinal grain, edge grain, face grain,
radial grain, and tangential grain
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Figure 9-26 A board exhibiting radial grain on its face was cut along a radius
running from the center of the tree outward.
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Figure 9-28 A board showing tangential grain on its
face was cut tangent to the growth rings of the tree.
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Grain (continued)
• Wood movement
– Wood is not a static material
• Expands and contracts in response to changes in
relative humidity
– As we build furniture, we have to allow for this
movement
– The way wood moves is directly related to its grain
• Greatest amount of movement takes place tangent to
the grain
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Sources of Wood
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•
•
•
Home centers
Retail lumber stores
Hardwood mills
Can have trees of your own cut and milled by a
portable band saw mill
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Sources of Wood (continued)
•
•
•
•
Structures slated for demolition
Local road crews
Power companies
Mail order and online
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Summary
• Wood is a beautiful yet complex material
• Understanding how wood grew and was milled
and seasoned gives us vital tools for working
with it successfully
• Appearance of wood and its behavior relative to
the surrounding environment are largely
determined by the roles the wood played in the
original tree
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